Separator



Patented Sept. 19, 1944 UNITED STATES -rA'rENT orner:

Lloyd J. Hersh, Allentown, Pa., assigner, by direct t and mesne assignments, Aoi' one-half to John' Phillips Ballenllallsen,A Philadelphia, Pa., and one-half to F. L. Newton Corporation, Phila.- delphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania application member ze, 1942, sernl'No. 470,137

This invention relates to separators and more particularly to a separator for removing'lsuspended solid particles of small sizes from a gas- -eous stream; The solid particles may be dust,

plication for lLetters Patent, filed October 4,

1941, Serial No. 413,603, and contemplates particularly an improved character of. path for handling the iiuid stream wlthinwhich the solid particles are carried in suspension and the separation of the solid particles in a more effective manner.

It is a furtherobject of thepresent-invention to`provide`a separator. of greater effectiveness than has. heretofore been available while keeping 4to 'a minimum the pressure drop through the separator.

It is afurther object of the present invention to provide a separator capable of operating at `higher temperature ranges than the separators heretofore available. f

` Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the annexed sneciilc'ation and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from .the following description, taken in connection'- with the accompanying drawing yforming part thereof, in which: t

Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a separator embodying the main features of the invention.

parts being broken. away to show thei'nterior yconstruction thereof Fis. 2 vis a view of the separator shown inFig.- l partly in plan and partly in section at diiierent horizontal levels showing the details of'constructionand; Y

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the plaller indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and on a larger scale, to illustrate the details of the separator elements and the.

path of 'ilow of the gases and the separated solid particles.

It will, of course, be understood that thede- -li'Clalms.A (CLN3-23) M .t scriptum and drawing. herein' aragulustratlve merely, and that various vmodiilcatiox'ls andY changes may be made in the structure disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the inventlon. A Y

Referring more particularly to the drawilimin which a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated, .a separator .is provided having a' gas delivery duct K Ill connected toA the inlet side and a'gas discharge clllct` I`I connected to the outlet side thereof. Theseparator includes vertical side walls, II and I2, a horizontal top wall I3 and upper front and rearwalls Il` and I5 extending downwardly from the top wall I3. In-

clined lower front and rear walls I6 and Il and inclined side walls I8 and lare provided form-y ing a collecting hoppel'.` The lower endfof the hopper is preferably provided with suitable gates U Y l.2li for controlling the discharge of the collected solid particles." Y

' Adjacent to the topwall I3 and-spaced downwardlytherefrom an upper horizontal tube sheet 2l is provided. ,The tubev sheet 2I is preferably connectedat its edges to the vertical kside walls Il and I2 and to the front. and rear walls Il .and I5 in uid tight relationship. The top wall i8, the front wall'll, the rear wall Il), land the upper portions of the side walls Il and l2 provide -a closed upper fluid chamber22 with which a fluid v discharge pipe 23 vis in communication.

A lower horizontal tube sheet '2511s lusov rprovided at the lower ends of the side walls. I l .and

I2. The lower tube sheet 25 is disposedy parallel tothe upper tube sheet 2l The lower tube sheet '25 is also preferably connectedv to the sidewalls II and I2 and to lower front' and rear walls 21 and 28 injfiuid tight relationship. A lowermost tube' sheet 29 isalso provided, spaced belowthe lower tube sheet 25 and. is also preferably connetted to theslde walls Il and Iz and mime i lower front and rear walls 2l and 28 :in yuifl tight relationship. The lowermo'st tube sheet 28 serves as yanv upper closure wall for 'the "hopper. The `space between thetube sheet 2l, the

tube sheet 29, the sidewalls 'Il' and I2, the 'lower front and rear wallsV 21 and.- 2l 'constitutes a lower fluid chamber ,anda uid delivery .pipe

3l is in communication therewith. In the space between the vertical sidewalls Il and l2, the upper l tube sheet 2l and the lower tube sheet 2l vertically disposed guiding and separating members are provided in the path of the gas flow.

The separator members preferably include Stube elements It inthe form voi' scrolls and oppositelyv curved. The separator members of onejrow are chamber 30 through openings 3l and the upper chamber 22 through openings 32. The, tube elements 35 are Y:preferably formed from suitable` lstraight lengths of piping or tubing.such as boiler tubes or the like out lengthwise. vThe tube elements 35 preferably have the upper erid'por-V tions 40 which extend above the upper tube sheet 2| and the lower end portions 4I which extend between the lower tube sheet 25 and the lowermost tube sheet 25 and below the lowermosttube sheet 29, cylindrical and undeformed. The portions of the tube elements 35 which lie between the upper tube sheet 2 I' and the lower tube sheet 25'are bent 4into scroll shape.` This is preferably accomplished by cutting or slitting the tubes longitudinally andbending the portions i the .tube elements along the slit into a curve having the characteristics of an involute `or spiral. The

ltube elements 35 are preferably securedrespectively to the upper tube sheet 2l and to the lower Vtube sheet 25 vin fluid' tight relationship. The

shaping of the scrolls and their` tangential arrangement withrespect to the guide plates 33 thus provides narrow converging openings 42 into the interior of each of thescroll portions.

`The upper ends 4I of the tube elements 35 within the upper chamber 22 are preferably closed by caps 43 which prevent any flow of gas into ythe upper chamber 22,V from the interiors lof the scrolls 35 and prevent any ilow of liquid from thechamber 22 into the interior-of thev scrolls 35. The caps 43A maybe removed for cleaning. The lower ends 4| lof the tube elements 35 below the' lowermost tube sheet 23 are in communication with the hopper for' the delivery of separated solid material into the hopper:

At the front of the separator guide baille plates 44 connected at their rear ends by curved plates 45, are provided for initially yguiding the uent stream entering theseparator from the delivery duct III into the proper relationship .with reispect to the tubular elements 35. The interior spaces-within the vertical plates 44 and the lcurved plates 45 arepreferably in communication `respectively with the lower chamber 33 throughth openings 35 and the upper chamber 22 through the openings 32. y I *Y It will'gbe 4seen that provision is made forv difviding the gaseous stream at the respective apices 31 and ydirecting the several streams towards the converging openings 42. The respective Vdivided streams of gas thenpass transversely or sidewise at 41 between the rear of the baille plates 3l and the outsideof the scroll tubes 35 for further treatment and for subsequent d isstream or for wet collecting ofthe solids from the gaseous stream.

The mode of operation of the separator of the v present invention'will now be pointed out.

'I'he dust 'laden gaseous stream with its solid content oi' ash, cinders, cement or the-like is delivered by the duct l0 to the separator with a pressure derived from a fan (not shown) connected to the delivery duct I3, from aninduced draft fan (not shown) connected to the discharge duct Il, or in any other desired manner.

The dust laden gaseous stream upon entering the front of the separa-tor is divided by the apices 31 and 46, of the plates 36 and of the plates 44 Ainto a plurality of directed streams. These dlrected streams are guided by the walls 33 and the walls 44 towards the converging openings 42. The solid particles in the divided gaseous streams are impelled in a converging path and in a direction towards the converging openings 42. The solid particles in. large proportion leave the gaseous stream by reason of the momentum imparted thereto, enter the converging openings 42v and pass into the interiors of the tube elements 35 of the first row. The gaseous streams then pass transversely between the outer surfaces'of the scroll tubes 35 and the rear of the walls ..are

redivided by the next rowv of apices 31 oi' -the vplates 33 and are directed into converging paths,

as before, for delivery of solid particles into the interiors of the next succeeding row of tubular elements. This redividingfof the gaseous streams is repeated successively at each row of apices 31 ousl stream in the vseparator in accordance withl the use of a vforced or induced fiow of the gaseous stream through the separator.

The solid particles delivered into the interiors of the tubes 35v have a spiral motion imparted thereto upon their introduction and fall by gravity downwardly in the tubular elements," and ,into the hopper. The solid particles, in failing, tend to adhere to and aid in the downward ldelivery of other solid particles and the generally downward spiral motion of the particles produces a scouring action in thev interior spaces of the scroll tubes 35.

The solid particles are collected in the hopper and may be withdrawn from time to timeas desired. The interior of the hopper because of its closed condition remains in a quiescent state and there is no return oi' the collected solid particles to the advancinggaseousstream. j Y.

'Ihe gas, freed of its contentof solid particles passes out the rear side of the separator and into thegas discharge duct vI I.

Y With certain types of. dust or. solid particles laden gas the temperature of the gas is beyond .that which thewallsv are capable of withstanding without injury. To overcome this provision is made for circulating cooling fluid inthe interior spaces. Cooling fluid, such as water is delivered through` the pipe 3| t'o the lower chamber 3l,

passes through thel openings 3l into the interior spaces and upwardly therein, and then through the openings 32 into the upper chamber 22 for delivery through the discharge pipe 23.

For other types of gaseous stream and for cooling or moistening. or both, it is desirable to inf troduce a fluid in spray or mist form directly into the gaseous stream. ForV this purpose uid is delivered through the pipes 50 and the spray teriors of the scroll tubes 35 and their subsequent' discharge into the hopper.

It will thus be seen that the separator of the present invention has a wide range of adaptability and has greater capabilities of usefulness than most of the separators heretofore available.

I claim: i

1. Apparatus for separating suspended solid particles from a gaseous stream which includes a. chamber bounded at the top and bottom by spaced upper and lower tube sheets, aclosed hopper below said lower tube sheet, vertical particle separator members in staggered rows extending between said tube sheets, each ofV said separator members comprising a pair of rearwardly flaring deflecting members meeting at their front ends and closed at their rear'ends and oppositely arranged scroll elements outside said deflecting members on each side thereof and respectively connected tangentially to said deiiecting members, said scroll elements being closed at the top and each having a dead gas space in the interior thereof with a vertical converging opening in communication with said interior, the lower portions of the interior dead gas spaces being in communication with said hopper for the delivery of solid particles into said hopper, the forward faces of said deflecting members and the forward faces of said scroll elements providing surfaces for directing solid particles into said converging openings, the d eecting members and scroll elements in successive rows being disposed to provide gas paths converging toward said openings with transverse gas paths between outside portions of said scroll elements and rear portions of said deecting members.

2. Apparatus according to claim l, including rear extensions of Vsaid deflecting members alined I therewith to the rear of said scroll elements for directing the gaseous streams towards the openings inthe scroll elements of the succeeding row.

3.` Apparatus according to claim 1, including spray means at the entrance to said chamber for the delivery of iluid in finely divided form into the gaseous stream entering said chamber.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for supplying cooling uid to the interior spaces of said deilecting members.v

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for supplying c'oolin'guid to the interior spaces of said defiecting members, said means including a fluid chamber above said upper tube sheet and a iiuid chamber above said hopper.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including spray means at the entranceto said chamber for the delivery of fluid in nely divided form into the gaseous stream entering said chamber, and 

